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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. press — to push
  6. foot — a measure
  7. charge — a price
  8. press — a publisher
  9. staff — a stick
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — in control
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com